Independent Bookshop of the Year

“British and Irish indies continue to thrive, despite the overall climate, with entrepreneurship and creativity. These winners and finalists are wonderfully unique and idiosyncratic, but there is a link in that all of them are not confined by the four walls of their shops – they are out in their communities organising festivals, visiting schools, bringing authors to town. Sure, they sell a lot of books, but that is just the start: independent bookshops are Britain and Ireland’s local cultural lynchpins.” – Tom Tivnan, managing editor, The Bookseller.

East England
Island of Ireland
London
Midlands
North England
Scotland
South-East England
South-West England
Wales

Winners

Maldon Books

East England

Maldon Books in Essex is the East England winner. 2024 was the shop’s fifth year and its biggest yet as it expanded into an adjacent building, using the extra space to increase stock and events space and add a dedicated children’s area. It all led to a best-ever year of sales. Like all the best indies it’s central to community life, with lots of events and a novel “blind date with a book” offer.

Bridge Books

Island of Ireland

Bridge Books in the small County Down town of Dromore is the Island of Ireland winner. It’s a tiny, one-person shop with a big personality that runs many events and signings to connect local authors with readers, often hosted with local pubs or coffee shops. “Bridge Books perfectly fits the description of ‘though she be but little, she is fierce,’” said a local author. Plans for 2025 include a literary festival and podcast.

Queen's Park Books

London

London’s winner has been the heart and soul of its Queen’s Park community for more than 20 years. 2024 was its most successful year yet, after a renovation that expanded the children’s section in particular. Schools and the Queen’s Park Book Festival are big sources of sales and the website now delivers around a third of turnover. “Its value to the community is incalculable,” said one local.

The Heath Bookshop

Midlands

The Heath Bookshop in Kings Heath near Birmingham is the Midlands winner in only its second full year in business. Its hard-working co-owners put on no fewer than 81 events in 2024, including a 900-people sell-out with Rick Astley and 27 sessions at its own Heath Bookshop Literature & Music Festival. There’s a welcome diversity and inclusivity to everything the shop does.

Simply Books

North England

Simply Books in Bramhall near Manchester is the North England winner. It picked up the Nibbie for Independent Bookseller of the Year way back in 2009 and 16 years on its customers are as loyal as ever. New owners renovated and modernised in 2024 – with additions including a book club room that hosts a dozen different groups, plus a wine bar and new website – without losing the special spirit of the place.

The Book Nook

Scotland

“Every town and village should have a Book Nook,” said one publisher visiting The Book Nook in Stewarton, the Scotland winner for the second time in its four-year history. It’s got a big range of in-store activities like book clubs, storytimes and reading nights, and around 1,600 people attended its events in 2024. There are close ties with local people and schools and good charitable work.

Medina Bookshop

South-East England

The South East-England regional winner, Medina Bookshop in Cowes on the Isle of Wight serves as a cultural hub to both residents and holidaymakers. It succeeds on a less-is-more approach to range, which has a sharp sense of place. Medina also champions local literature via the Isle of Wight Book Awards, Isle of Wight Writers Jamboree and its own books under the Medina Publishing imprint.

Storysmith

South-West England

Storysmith in south Bristol is the South-West England winner for the second time in three years. Sales have grown in each of its six years in business and its programme of events in-store and with schools was also its biggest yet. Progress in 2024 included a complete website overhaul, bookselling at the End of the Road festival and a seventh book club.

Griffin Books

Wales

Griffin Books, the 2023 Independent Bookshop of the Year, is the Wales winner. The Penarth store celebrated a decade in bookselling in 2024 and packs a lot of stock and activity into just 45 square metres of space. There were more than 40 events, including sell-outs with big names like Matt Haig, Colm Tóibín and David Nicholls, plus subscription packages, “reading spas” and good online sales.